What do you love?
Who are you becoming?
How can we support you?

The Soar High School Program
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Designed for high school students eager to learn more about themselves through their study of the world
Soar (verb): To fly aloft; to ascend to a higher or more exalted level.

When you begin your high school journey at Global Village School, the world becomes the classroom.

The Soar program is a collaborative effort designed and brought to fruition by students, their adult mentors, and GVS teachers. We provide the framework for compelling and engaging experiences that nurture confidence, autonomy, resilience, open-mindedness, and social responsibility.

Students author their lives and learning by following their curiosity on a journey through interest-based education. Families choose from our global-minded course guides, design their own, or look deeply into their communities for learning opportunities. One 9th grade year might look quite unlike another; students set their own goals, make their own schedules, and become the captains of their education. They create, discuss, negotiate, explore, and most especially do what they decide will best serve the pursuit of their passions and the planet.

The Soar approach centers on self-reflection, critical thinking, and global citizenship. It encourages taking the time to experience deep learning, allowing students to thoroughly understand ideas and concepts, cultivate internal motivations, and creatively apply their knowledge to pursue a more just world. Soar adapts to the transformations and transitions characteristic of this life phase. Re-evaluating and changing direction is part of the learning process, and GVS students are inspired to forge new paths while creatively weaving them into their academic subjects. In their semi-monthly meetings with GVS teachers, monthly seminars with their peers, experiences, and coursework, students' most important achievements revolve around how to learn rather than what to learn. Cycles of inquiry emphasize social justice, diversity, and sustainability while building decision-making skills and expanding knowledge.

​Students emerge from the program with characteristics that come from years of establishing intelligent, self-affirming habits. Mature, Healthy. Productive. These young adults are comfortable in their skins and deeply sensitive to the needs of others. In addition, they build high-level communication skills, including careful, active listening, and a willingness to accept constructive criticism.

"This class has changed the way I see all news. Every person should take this."

​  Henry F., Class of 2020

​Throughout it all, the GVS team helps students stay on track to fulfill graduation requirements to earn an accredited high school diploma. Enrollment in Global Village School grants your family access to experienced teacher support and a WASC-accredited private school's administrative services. We maintain all student records and provide written and numeric evaluations, an annual transcript review, and other services. A GVS diploma signifies to the world that graduates have met our School-Wide Learning Outcomes (SLOs), which include:
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• Proficiency in the core academic areas
• Qualities of self-direction and awareness
• The knowledge and emotional maturity to become global citizens; wise and capable stewards of the planet and its inhabitants. ​

A Homeschool-Private School Hybrid: The best of both worlds
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Work from where you are, at your own pace, but with guidance from a seasoned teacher. Lean on our expertise and social justice-oriented curriculum guides, but bring your knowledge and experiences to the table. Do your own thing, but come together to form a community and get support from other students and families on the GVS journey.
The learning process is enriched and amplified through conversations and relationships utilizing asynchronous and synchronous communications.

Open to all: Learners from all backgrounds, experiences, and levels of success in traditional schooling are welcome and can thrive in the Soar Program. Students can also be enrolled in another educational program concurrently with GVS. There is no additional fee for being dual enrolled.
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General schedule and rolling enrollment: We are a year-round school. While our standard school year runs from September to June, students can enroll at any time of the year and can continue working through the summer if they wish. The high school program assumes a four-year course of studies, but students who want to accelerate their progress are free to do so.

A 4-year program with 12-month enrollment periods: The Soar program incorporates a 10-month academic year, with the freedom to continue documenting activities during breaks. Life is learning. It doesn't stop just because students are not officially "doing school." Hence, we provide the opportunity to continue earning credits in PE, music, art, and other creative endeavors while they are "off." Students can elect to continue with academics for the full 12 months, but often families wisely choose to give their minds a break from rigorous pursuits.

Soar is well suited to support students struggling with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other life challenges because it eases the natural pressure of deadlines; partially completed courses can be carried over and finished in the following year.

​Flexible curriculum options: There are as many ways to meet the course requirements for graduation as there are students who enroll in the courses!
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​Students can choose from Global Village School's comprehensive course and curriculum resources, propose their own ideas, participate in local mentorships and workshops, or choose from the many excellent classes and materials offered by institutions worldwide, both online and face to face. As a result, it is not uncommon for GVS students to earn credit for things they do in their lives that would otherwise not appear on a transcript. The world is your classroom!

The Soar tuition fee includes some GVS curriculum guides; see details in the cost section below.

Holistic Assessment: GVS teachers do not grade student work in traditional ways, but will issue letter grades upon request. Soar engages all stakeholders in a collaborative approach; students, parents, and the GVS teacher will all assess progress. Families receive an extensive written evaluation from their GVS teacher at the end of each year.

One teacher, twice-monthly meetings: During semi-monthly, live, one-on-one meetings with their GVS teacher, students will share their project samples, learning progress, and documentation of activities and hours. Families keep in touch with their GVS teachers between video conferences using tools like email, texting, and Google Drive. Families are encouraged to share their academic and daily living triumphs and challenges. Having a relationship with one teacher from start to finish allows everyone to form deep connections and experience what it's like to have adults and students on the same team. These relationships foster a deepened awareness of the student as a whole person with goals, interests, and skills related to their learning.
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Parents play a vital role as home teachers: In collaboration with their GVS teacher, parents and mentors are very involved in the learning process, acting as the primary on-site teachers. The home teachers become familiar with graduation requirements and assist with documentation, scheduling, assignment review and discussion as needed. An amicable, synergistic, and respectful relationship between students and their home teachers is critical to student emotional health and educational success. GVS teachers coach and empower parents and mentors alongside their students.

​Live meeting for home teachers: GVS offers a live, monthly support group where our home teachers can connect with kindred spirits, share obstacles and success stories, and ask questions of each other and the Director of Education.

Live Soar meeting for students: This seminar-style class facilitated by high school students and the GVS Director of Education meets monthly. Students, in partnership with teachers, choose topics relevant to their lives. Participants practice thoughtful listening skills and have the opportunity to form meaningful relationships with one another. Some subjects of recent exploration include: 

• effective communication skills
• understanding media bias
• being misunderstood
• music and current events
• the definition of the word queer
• following your passion

Soar Senior Project: Each 12th Grade student works with their GVS teacher and home teacher to design a project which serves as a central theme for the year. This project is a culminating undertaking that invites students to explore their curiosities and interests while utilizing the strengths and talents they have built over the last several years.

"I had thought that kids couldn’t learn without being in a classroom. She is finding math really easy now…I was a nervous wreck about doing this and now I’m so glad I did. She’s learning so much more. Her learning has increased exponentially...That just wasn’t happening in the classroom. I’m very thrilled that we’re doing this...I’m stunned. I never imagined that it would be like this. Where did we get the idea that we had to turn over our kids to strangers?"                             
 HS Parent

​This all sounds great, but what does Soar look like in practice?
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It's lovely to have choices in the abstract, but anyone whose eyes have glazed over examining 16 variations of a product in a store can tell you that variety is sometimes a little daunting. Our expert teaching staff is ready to guide you through the wilderness, but some examples can help you visualize what it might look like for your family.
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• It looks like Chip, whose Learning Style Profile results indicate strengths in problem-solving and hands-on activities. He studies physics theories using the GVS curriculum and applies the concepts by exploring his passion for sailing through a scientific lens. ​
• It looks like Luke, who got credit for his work writing movie reviews and studying film scoring and composition in preparation for his pursuit of film and music studies.
• It looks like Rainer, who learned history and culture by researching and cooking a dish from a different country each week for his family.
• It looks like Dylan, who made an award-winning documentary about the environmental impact of plastics as part of a school project.
• It looks like Flora, who earns credit for Horsemanship and Animal Biology by studying and caring for her horses on a ranch.
• It looks like Remme, whose appetite for the world has led to credit in areas as diverse as health and wellness, rock climbing, international travel, and construction.
• It looks like Geeta, whose keen interest in food and animal welfare led her to learn about the catering business and adapting recipes for vegans.
• It looks like Riley, whose intensive exploration of Permaculture practices prepared her to pursue a degree in sustainable agriculture.​​

​As you can see, there is no “typical” year; every student does things very differently. Some students create a regular daily schedule; others set weekly goals. Some do a different academic course each day; others prefer to do a little bit of several courses each day. Some do academics in the morning and other activities in the afternoons. Some start their day with several hours of art or music, while others like to do their physical activities first. Most students experiment with their scheduling quite a bit and refine it as they learn what works best or their needs change.

When you have your enrollment advising appointment, you will discuss general options for the year and develop an initial plan. Your GVS teacher will help you fill in the details and can suggest methods of documentation which allow students to move through learning experiences with as little or as much structure as is suitable.

What if school encouraged you to find what you love and to learn it well?

What kinds of students and families are a good fit for the Soar Program?
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This program requires a secure, stable, and consistent collaborative connection between the student and their home teacher.
 
Questions for students:

• Are you committed to learning about peace, social justice, and sustainability?
• Are you eager to make your contribution to help make the world a better place? Are you committed to “thinking globally and acting locally?” 
• Are you interested in learning more about your thoughts, feelings, and needs?
  
• Are you willing to explore how you learn and what wellness means to you, while discovering your development needs, and how they all work together?
• Are you excited about life and learning? (Or if you are really burned out right now, does it seem realistic that with a bit of recovery time, you could dive in and immerse yourself in topics of interest while demonstrating mastery in ways that work well for your learning style?)

Questions for parents and guardians:

• Do you (or another committed adult) have a strong collaborative relationship with your learner?
• Are you able to find and procure the learning resources your student needs?
• Are you able to be involved daily, discussing what they’re learning, helping with detailed documentation, reviewing their work, etc.? ​

"The U.S. Government course asked Grey to choose a political project and while looking around we discovered the cry for help from the Green Party...Last night we won a seat for the Green Party - first ever in NB. Very historic! I'm especially happy because they say the buzz created by the many, many videos I made for them over the last 3 months were what swung the vote...

​So I don't think it's too far fetched to say that GVS and your wonderful curriculum will have played an important role in the greening of a whole province."

  HS parent

How much does the Soar Program cost?

The Soar Program tuition fee is $7,995 

The tuition fee includes:

• Official records, and all the administrative services of a legally registered, WASC-accredited private school. 
• A year of teacher support, 
• A Soar Program guide (a general overview of the program and how it works), 
• Access to GVS curriculum guides if desired. Each year, students may choose up to the number of guides that represent a full course load (equivalent to 6 year-long guides).

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Families purchase texts and other materials on their own. Any Global Village individual courses other than what’s listed above are additional. (Please see our curriculum page for prices and details for each course.)

Sales tax (CA residents only) and shipping and handling are additional.​​

Sarah Belle Miles on homeschooling, activism, and Global Village School

​There are additional fees for new students and 12th graders:

• Application Interview Fee: Students who are new to the GVS high school homeschooling program pay a one-time Application Interview Fee of $100. This fee covers some of the cost of the application review, interview, and transcript review. This fee is non-refundable. ​
• Senior fee: There is an increased amount of administrative work associated with a graduating student. The Senior Fee of $325 ($425 for international students) applies to all 12th grade students. This fee is non-refundable.

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Please read our refund policy carefully before making a purchase. ​
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 "I have looked over the two or three lessons you've emailed to me in the past months and they were impressive. I liked the way you respond to each question in a way that encourages and inspires her to elucidate/expand on the concept. She takes them to mind when she's formulating her responses, and she shares them with me, which she was never likely to do in the past. 

​So, thank you for your excellence! It is acknowledged and valued."

 Amanda , HS parent

Learn more about Global Village School's accredited distance learning program

If you have not already done so, please review the information specific to the grade levels you are interested in. ​​
We hope you enjoy exploring the wealth of information we've shared about the Global Village School homeschooling program.

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